Microsoft Spokesperson: Privacy Concerns Exaggerated

Surface Tablet Security came into question last week when Nadim Kobeissi, a Canadian security researcher, proclaimed that Microsoft’s SmartScreen technology posed some privacy concerns. Kobeissi alleges that the technology, which is intended to warn users about installing malicious software, sends private information to Microsoft concerning applications installed on the Windows 8 Tablets. Microsoft’s collection and retention policies are a “very serious privacy problem,” Kobeissi said, hackers would be able to intercept and decode data sent from the Microsoft Surface tablet due to insecurities in the SSLv2 protocol.

A Microsoft spokesperson retorted today, “We can confirm that we are not building a historical database of program and user IP data,” On the use of IP addresses and Surface Tablet Security the representative continued, “Like all online services, IP addresses are necessary to connect to our service, but we periodically delete them from our logs. As our privacy statements indicate, we take steps to protect our users’ privacy on the back-end. We don’t use this data to identify, contact or target advertising to our users and we don’t share it with third parties.”

In relation to the claim of information interception risk posed by the SSLv2 protocol incorporated in the Microsoft Surface tablet. The spokesperson disagreed with the implication stating, “Windows SmartScreen does not use the SSL2.0 protocol.” The Windows SmartScreen can also be disabled upon system set up or through the settings menu afterward. Windows 8 Tablets will be released on October 26, 2012 and many rumors and speculations abound.

Authors note: In a previous article on this subject I recommend, “Any user of any Web enabled (mobile) device with concerns about security may want to look into VPNs or Virtual Private Networks. These networks use more sophisticated encryption codes; some use the same codes governments use to encrypt their data. Additionally, the data will be safe on unsecured WI-Fi hot spots.”

Furthermore, your actual IP address is not used in the transmission of data. The VPN’s IP address is used and with some services you can actually chose a different country of origin. This comes in handy when you are trying to find information in a country that restricts foreign visitors – China, for example.

My interest in technology began over 30 years ago when I worked for AT&T. I have been an avid business and technology enthusiast since then. I have read, researched, and written about the advances in technology from the time when the Internet was just a figment of Al Gore’s imagination and mobile technology was thought of as the telephone repairman. I look forward to another 30 years of following and writing about the people and companies with real imagination and the technological savoir faire that make our lives a little easier. For the past year I have been working at oDesk [https://www.odesk.com/users/~~f24c4a63a15003e3] in this capacity.